Torch's Flame
by ManxoChu
Summary: A currently *unfinished* Clark/Chloe fic.
1. Just another Friday in Smallville

Torch's Flame -- a Smallville fic of Clark/Chloe proportions  
by ManxoChu  
  
Disclaimer: Needless to say, but just to satisfy anyone who speaks legal-talk, Smallville, its characters, etc etc, belong to DC and the WB.  
  
  
Note: This fic takes place after "Nicodemus" and thus also occurs after the previously aired episodes. There, with all the bases covered, away we go...  
  
~ denotes one's thoughts here, as " would for speech.  
  
  
=====================================  
  
  
It's 4:43 AM in Smallville, Kansas. The sun hadn't even risen yet, and already there's one person who's awake: Clark Kent, mild-mannered typical angst-ridden teen who... well, *wasn't* so typical. Normally, he'd be asleep at this time, trying to get a fix on what his dreams mean. Typically they'd be on what it would be like to actually be normal or perhaps on Lana Lang, the quintessential "girl next door" of whom Clark's been holding a major crush on.  
  
But not this time, nor had it been for the past few weeks. Ever since the "outbreak" of these incidents, as Clark liked to think of it, caused in some way, shape or form by the meteor rocks, he'd been a little more analytical of things. Same goes for people. There's Lex Luthor, his best friend who's always had something to hide, and yet there's more to it than that. Something about Lex he just can't figure out. ~Heh,~ Clark thought, ~maybe it's better that way.~  
  
Clark continued to ponder about all those in his life, past and present, until he got to one person in particular: Chloe Sullivan. She's the one person he couldn't put a clear description on, except to say that "she's Chloe." Normally that'd be the end of Clark's analysis of her, but it hadn't been that way for several weeks...  
  
...Not since the night Chloe was pushed out of the second floor of the Luthor estate by meteor-modified thieves. Clark remembered how that somewhere in that madness, something deep in his soul never wanted to part from her side, whether it be while she recovered by her injuries or be any point in time afterwards.  
  
Then there were the dreams. Clark looked at the notebook. Ever since he was as tall as his mother, he'd kept a notebook by his bed. That way when he woke up from a dream that he wanted to think about later on, he could write down what happened. With a sigh, Clark read all the dreams he had in the past few weeks. From what he could tell, they were flashes from the past and that they involved Chloe. From winks to grins to things she had said, it was all about her and not Lana. Well, not exactly; if it did involve Lana, it was usually some wisecrack or her usual "get over her and move on" kind of schpeal. Her "get over her" talk really struck a chord with him just before the incidents with the Nicodemus plants, which were long thought to be extinct.  
  
"Chloe..." Clark sighed once more and looked at the clock. 4:57 AM. "Why Chloe?" was all he could say to himself as he got ready for another Friday at Smallville High School. That is, after his morning chores. Seeing as it's only five in the morning, he can get a jump on the whole day, the whole time still thinking about how he hadn't noticed til now how her soft hazel eyes sparkled when it was just the two of them in the office of The Torch, the school's newspaper. Zipping through the house to get the chores done, get breakfast, and to leave a note for his parents, he was off to school. Clark checked the clock right before leaving. 5:03 AM.  
  
  
  
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"Thanks, Mrs. Kent. I'm sure Pete and I will see him in class in a sec. Bye." Chloe Sullivan just shruged and puts away her cellphone, shaking off the odd feeling she's getting. She turned to her best friend, Pete Ross, with an odd look on her face. "That's odd..."  
  
"What's odd? Where's Clark?"  
  
"Mrs. Kent said he left real early, so I guess he's already here."  
  
"So that's how he beats us to school. I shoulda known," Pete jokingly said with a smirk. "He's probably looking for Lana right now."  
  
"No, that's not it," she said with an inquisitive look. "She sounded as if Clark's early departure was a surprise to her as well. You check the class, ok? I've got to drop off something at the office." With a nod, both went their separate ways. It didn't take long for Chloe to find who she was searching for. The Torch office was a place that most students tend to steer clear from, thus being her own safe haven from the trials and tribulations of the modern teenage society that is high school. Of all places for Chloe to find Clark, she spoted him sitting on the floor next to the door leading into the The Torch office, engrossed in a notebook.  
  
~Wanting some time alone and yet still easy to find,~ thought Chloe. ~How much more Smallville can this boy--no, not a boy anymore--man be?~ With a deep breathe to regain some composure, she walked over for her attack. "Hey there, Kent. What's got your juices flowing so bad?" She didn't even get a response. Clark just continued to read his notebook. She tried one of her usual tricks. "Hi there, Lana!" To her shock (and partial joy) Clark still didsn't reply. ~Grrrr...~ "EARTH TO KENT!!"  
  
Clark jerked his head back and smacks it into the wall. "Owww!" Not that it had actually hurt, but he figured the sound it made would've meant that it would hurt any other normal person. It still dazed him. "Huh? Chloe... Hi." He felt a slight flush in his cheeks as he looked at her. "How'd you find me?"  
  
She just rolled her eyes. "Duh, Clark, I work here," she quiped while unlocking the door. "You alright? You don't seem like your usual 'oogling Lana slash saving the town' self. And what's with that notebook?" ~My good ole Sullivan charm works every time. Wait a minute... was Clark blushing?~  
  
"Y-Yea... ummm... I'm fine." Clark shoved the notebook in his backpack before she could get a chance to pry it out of his hands. "The notebook? It's nothing."  
  
~And stuttering?~ "Okay, Clark, now spill. Your mom said you left way early this morning. What's wrong?" Clark could read the look of genuine concern on Chloe's gentle face. It would have been enough to have him let down his guard. "Dreaming about Lana again, weren't you?" ~Then again, maybe not.~  
  
"N-no... No! No dreams about Lana. It's..." Clark's voice trailed off. ~I don't want to ruin our friendship, Chloe, but...~  
  
"Well? What is it? If I can help, then talk to me. You know I'd help you out." She held his hand in hers as to comfort him. While she knows she felt her cheeks starting to blush, she can't help but notice him blushing deeply. Before she could say or do anything, all she was able to do was gasp in surprise as he took her in his arms and hugged her. Not a friendly hug. A hug that felt there shouldn't be an end to it. "...Clark?" ~It felt like Clark, but something was definitely amiss.~  
  
"I'm sorry. I'm really really sorry, Chloe." She could hear how torn up he was inside. The sincerity and pain in his words were clear. Moments later, without as much as a word spoken, he left the room in a hurry... and without his backpack.  
  
"Clark, wait! You forgot your... oh nevermind..." She knew he was long gone, at least until first period class. ~It's a good thirty minutes from now. I may as well see what this notebook has that's got Clark so worked up.~ She pulled the notebook from Clark's backpack and smiles at the cover. ~"Dreams," huh? Finally, a chance to dig into the dreams behind that sweet Kent charm. What's this... A bookmark?~ With an impish grin, she turned to that page and began to read.  
  
With five minutes to spare, Chloe headed to class, of which she had with Clark. Trying to keep a calm face, she handed his backpack to him. A heartfelt thanks and that same blush was given to her by him. As the day worn on, she couldn't help but think of what she had read. ~Maybe it's not a bad thing. I mean, he's blushing at me. That hug, that apology, those dreams of his. At least they were clean. Heh. Do I even have a chance with him now? This seems more like a dream than anything else. Time to check. ...Ow. That hurt. Okay, it's real. But now what to do? He still seems unsure. ARGH!! Why'd he have to hug me like that?~  
  
Meanwhile, Clark's been real quiet, even for him. ~Why Chloe? Lana's nice and all, but she just doesn't have the fire that Chloe does. Chloe wouldn't BS me. And she's fun to be with. I still feel completely awful for dusting her off like that. For not being able to save her from falling. For hurting her feelings. For making her worry. For not... For not... ARGH!!~  
  
For their final class, English, the teacher had a good assignment. "Okay class, for Monday's assignment, I want you to write a poem. Not just any poem. This poem I want you to go all out on. For this poem, reach into your gut and pour your heart and soul into it. It can be about anything... as long as it's clean. Do not handwrite it, though. Type or print it up, and give it a five-digit number. You'll submit it to me, then I'll randomly disperse the papers for everyone to read aloud. Okay? See you Monday. Remember, keep it clean." The student body begins to file out of the school as usual for a Friday afternoon.  
  
"I'm so going to write about the meteors," Chloe beamed. She was already scribbling onto her small notepad some ideas. "What about you, Pete?"  
  
"Maybe about how much my family can really be a pain sometimes, I dunno." Pete grinned as usual, probably thinking of possible topics. "Clark man, how about you?"  
  
"..." Clark was lost to his own thoughts, still thinking of the dreams and Chloe.  
  
"Clark? Wake up! School's done." Pete elbows him in the ribs. All Chloe could do was wonder if he was thinking about her.  
  
"Huh? Sorry. I've got some things to do at home. See you, Pete. Bye, Chloe." He was so quick to leave he accidentally bumped into Lana. Oddly enough, he didn't even give as much as an apology as he continued on his way.  
  
Pete just watched the events unfold in a stupor. "Chloe, that *was* Clark Kent, our best friend who couldn't stand to be apart from Lana Lang, right?"  
  
"Yea."  
  
"So what just happened?"  
  
"No clue, Pete." She shrugged as she headed back to The Torch. ~I have a clue, actually, just not real sure about it.~  
  
  
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Read and Review, please. 


	2. Broken Trust and Broken Heart

Torch's Flame -- a Smallville fic of Clark/Chloe proportions  
by ManxoChu  
  
Disclaimer: Needless to say, but just to satisfy anyone who speaks legal-talk, Smallville, its characters, etc etc, belong to DC and the WB.  
  
  
Note: This fic takes place after "Nicodemus" and thus also occurs after the previously aired episodes. There, with all the bases covered, away we go...  
  
~ denotes one's thoughts here, as " would for speech.  
  
  
Part 2  
  
  
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~I can't sleep,~ thought Clark while in his bed. ~And curse that Mrs. Leon for her bouts of dramatics during English class. Why now? I can't think straight.~ He stared at the notebook. ~C'mon, just an idea. An idea I'm passionate about... Hmm...~ Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the notebook that he used for writing down his dreams. One could see the proverbial lightbulb light up over his head as he read through the entry concerning last night's dream. ~That's it!~ He proceeded to write down his assignment, all the while hoping that the true audience of this poem will appreciate it. After almost an hour of writing, editting, and spellchecking, he had finished... Or so he thought.  
  
"I forgot... I have to type or print it." He sighed when he realized that the typewriter was in the shop for repairs. "I wish we could just get a computer like everyone else," he mumbled, knowing all too well that it point in time, his parents just can't afford to get a computer. ~Well, I could always head over to Chloe's and... ah cripes...~ His idea crashed like a bad train wreck. There'd be the chance that she would see his poem while he was typing it up. Bad idea. That's when he remembered the computers at The Torch would be a better idea. ~Time for bed, anyway. I've got my plan. I just hope Chloe won't look at my screen while I'm there typing it. Whew... Poetry can really drain a person.~ On that note, he turned off the light and drifted off into dreamland. "Sweetdreams, Chloe..."  
  
  
Meanwhile, at the Sullivan residence...  
  
  
"YES!! Another prize paper by Chloe Sullivan!" This was of course kept at a low roar so as to not wake her father, who had come home from a long day at the fertilizer plant. It was, afterall, 10:30 PM. "I know they won't believe I'm right about the meteors even with this poem. All in all though, I did really well with this. I can't wait to show this to Clark tomorrow. Ah crap, we can't share. We're supposed to keep it hush-hush." With that in mind, she made sure the file was saved. ~I wonder what Clark will write about. Maybe something about his past. Maybe something about his wanting or not wanting to learn about his biological parents. Or maybe even his dreams about me...~ Chloe pondered a bit and laughed on that last one. "Yea right, like he'd have the guts to say it." As Chloe climbed into bed and drifted to sleep, she wondered if Clark will show at The Torch tomorrow... "*YAWWWWWWN* Maybe I'll get a chance to sneak a peek... Goodnight, my sweet savior of Smallville..." She giggled at that small bit of alliteration before falling asleep.  
  
  
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Clark woke that morning in a sweat. He looked at the clock that read 7:15 AM. ~Stupid clock...~ He knew that he had indeed dreamed that night, but this one was different from the previous ones. ~Since when did I dream so abstract? A light? A torch? Darkness? Blonde hair!?~ All this swam through his mind as he best recounted the dream onto his dream notebook. A quick shower, breakfast, and chores were all squared away in no time flat before he headed towards school and The Torch.  
  
For all his yelling, Jonathan couldn't reach through to his son. Grumbling, he went back inside. "Martha, any idea why Clark went to school on a Saturday without doing his chores?"  
  
Martha was in the middle of washing some of the crops in preparation for the Farmer's Market today. She didn't miss a beat while washing in order to answer. "You mean besides his friends at the school newspaper? Don't you remember, dear? He has to type up an assignment for English class and the typewriter's getting fixed. Now really, Jonathan, we should reconsider getting a computer for Clark and his schoolwork."  
  
"I know, dear. It's just that money's ti--"  
  
"I know that money's tight right now, but we can't afford to let Clark's grades suffer. I'm sure we could find some sort of deal in Metropolis." Martha's logic and the look in her eyes quickly broke through whatever defense Jonathan had in mind.  
  
"Oh alright. But you know that means he'll be home more and in turn it means less for us," he smirked while grabbing an apple. He couldn't help but goose his wife while passing by, ending up being playfully chased by his dear wife of countless years, towel in hand.  
  
Clark had wanted to be there an hour earlier, but he'd forgotten to set his clock. Had he done so, he would have easily gotten the janitor to open up The Torch, typed up his assignment and be gone without dealing with Chloe's prying curiosity. "So much for Plan A," he mumbled as he saw that The Torch was open for business. ~She's here~ was the thought crossing his mind, but he had other things in mind. ~She's going to want to read it, and I can't be at both the computer and the printer at the same time without revealing myself. Just great...~ With a sigh, he peered into the office. And there she was.  
  
Chloe had been in the office for over half an hour already, but at this point in time it was perfectly normal for the perky young blonde. She was proud of how she's improved this newspaper, and the office environment in particular. She'd actually gotten Principal "Genghis" Kwan to agree to set up a network for four iMacs and to put in a coffee machine. Kwan stated that it was her "miraculous" turnaround of her journalistic priorities that helped him agree to this. Chloe couldn't help now laugh at that, even if that was *partially* correct. "Once I find the proof, Genghis Kwan, I'll be able to link all the weirdness in school to those blasted meteors. Then the truth will be known."  
  
Clark couldn't help but gulp at the last statement as he entered. Another thing he couldn't help was his cheeks as they reddened. ~Not now... but she sure does look great this morning... Okay, focus now, Kent. Is that shirt rather form-fitting? No no no...~ Clark shook his head to clear it of any thoughts, semi-unpure or worse. However, he couldn't shake the blush on his cheeks. "G'morning, Chloe. You're here early." He ducked behind the nearest iMac so as to hopefully keep her from seeing that.  
  
"All this time, and you still don't remember? Sheesh, Kent, it's a wonder I haven't fired you from the paper yet," Chloe joked before taking another sip of her third morning cup of coffee. She grinned while taking that sip though. ~I saw that, Clark. And that 'hide behind the computer' ploy won't save you.~ She got up and sat by him. "What's wrong, Kent? You looked all flushed. Thinking of a certain girl?" She twirled her finger in his hair to make things worse for him, while hiding her own inner pain of what his answer would most likely be: Miss Lana "Pom Pom Queen" Lang.  
  
"Chloe, would you stop it? I've got some work to do here." Clark had about lost all his marbles when she did that to him. What he wasn't exactly sure of was why she was affecting him like this more and more while Lana was affecting him less and less. "Seriously, I've got to type up this assignment for Mrs. Leon." He had no time to react when she grabbed the paper from the desk. His heart about stopped. ~OH NO!! Don't read it! Don't read it! Don't re--~  
  
"Oh wow..." were the only words she would say. She'd read poems made by the students of Smallville High before; of course she had, because they're in the paper every now and then. Maybe it was the fact that this was *Clark Kent* who wrote this, or maybe it was the emotion contained in the words. Whatever it was, it had reduced her to only two words: "Oh wow..." When Clark pulled the paper out of her hands, it snapped her back into the now. "That was a great poem, Clark. I mean it, seriously." She was practically beaming, which eased Clark a bit. "If this really came from your dreams, then I could see why there's so much emo--" She stopped mid-syllable, as if she wanted to retract what she'd said, but it was too late.  
  
"Hold on there a second. What did you just say? My dreams? How did you know it was based off of my dreams, Chloe?" It wasn't anger in his words. It was pain. The pain one felt when his privacy was violated. Indeed, it was violation he felt. Violation of his own thoughts and images from the dream world. Still, he wanted this feeling to be untrue. ~You didn't, Chloe. Please say you didn't.~  
  
Tears were welling up in her eyes. She could see the pain in his eyes. A pain that she caused, no doubt. "I'm sorry, Clark. I'm so very sorry. I really am. You'd left your backpack here yesterday, and it was open. I saw you reading it earlier, and I wanted to know. I couldn't help myself, y'know? C'mon, Clark. Forgive me?" She held his hands in hers, feeling his as they shook. She wasn't sure if they were shaking in anger or sadness or something, but she knew it wasn't good. "Please?"  
  
"What did you read?" He had to swallow the lump in his throat.  
  
"Just the ones from the last week." She hoped this was a sign that he'd be okay.  
  
"My dreams are personal, Chloe. How could you?" He backed away from her and crumpled up the paper before tossing it in the trash.  
  
"Clark, don't do that!" She tried her best to correct things. "I won't tell anyone it's your poem. Just type it up and submit it on Monday and we can just forget that it ev--"  
  
"'Forget'? By reading my dreams, you were analyzing me like I'm some nutcase or something, taking advantage of the moment see what makes me tick, without even asking me, and you just want to 'forget' it?" As mad as he was, he couldn't make his words any more harsh. "I gotta go, Chloe. I'll see you on... no, I won't be here Monday. I'm not exactly feeling well. If you want to submit it for me, then type it yourself." Slamming the door open (without actually ripping it off its hinges), Clark stormed off.  
  
She knew she had best not follow him. She blew it. She knew he would have only written the poem for class if no one knew it was him who wrote. "That's why he used his dream for it. That's why the poem was so personal. Oh Clark..." She pulled the paper from the trash and uncrumpled it, in time for her teardrops to be caught by it. With a heavy heart and through tear-blurred eyes, she typed up the assignment for the best friend she wanted to be more with, but just lost.  
  
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To be Continued  
  
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Hope you enjoyed it. Reviews, please? Part 3 coming soon. ^_^ 


	3. You're Kidding Me, Right? Right???

Torch's Flame -- a Smallville fic of Clark/Chloe proportions  
by ManxoChu  
  
Disclaimer: Needless to say, but just to satisfy anyone who speaks legal-talk, Smallville, its characters, etc etc, belong to DC and the WB.  
  
  
Note: This fic takes place after "Nicodemus" and thus also occurs after the previously aired episodes. There, with all the bases covered, away we go...  
  
~ denotes one's thoughts here, as " would for speech.  
  
  
Part 3  
  
  
=====================================================  
  
  
"I can't believe she looked. How could I've been so stupid?" Clark had been berating himself while walking home from school. Normally, it would have taken him a few minutes by racing through the cornfields. A route he liked to call the "Kent Speedway." But this morning he had no desire for that kind of fun. "I never should have brought that dumb notebook to school. I should have tried Pete's place for typing up that stupid poem. Why wasn't I thinking straight?" The whole time Clark was having this conversation, he hadn't noticed the dark blue Ferrari pull up beside him.  
  
"Maybe because it concerns a girl that you like?" Lex couldn't help but grin like the cat who ate the canary. He opened up the passenger door for Clark. "Thinking about girls you like tends to override common sense. Believe me, Clark, I've been there. So what did you say to Lana?" He watched Clark's face as he got in. "It *is* about Lana, isn't it?" He shook his head in response. "Well, if it's not Lana, then I guess Lana's going to miss out. C'mon, we'll head to my place, play some billiards, and talk about women." Clark didn't really have a chance to turn down the offer as Lex tore up the side of the road and sped off with his friend.  
  
"Alright, Lex. Just two things: One, I call my parents to let them know I'll be at your place, and two, I break." Seeing that Clark was receptive to the idea, Lex handed over the cellphone.  
  
  
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"Well, Chloe? Where's the Clark man? Rumor has it that he's good at poems, and I wanted his help." Pete stared at the still-blank page of the iMac's word processor program. He'd notice Chloe being upset, but he chalked it up as being due to a bad batch of coffee being made. "When will he get here?" He was talking a little loudly, and with four iMacs between him and Chloe, he couldn't see or hear her end a phone conversation and put away her cellphone.  
  
"I blew it, Pete. I blew any chance I had with Clark. He was here a lil earlier, but I pissed him off and he left." Chloe was trying fiercely to fight back the tears, but failed miserably. Pete heard her cry and came over.  
  
"C'mon, girl, it can't be *that* bad, can it? Tell me what happened. Since I'm a guy, maybe I can help." Pete gave a half smile, trying to turn things around for his best friend. "You know I'll do what I can."  
  
Giving a couple of sobs, she wiped the tears away. "Promise not to tell? Not even Clark, got it?" Pete's nod was all she needed. "He has this notebook where he jots down his dreams. You know how dreams can be rather intense, be full of emotion, and have some sort of meaning. He used one of his dreams as his poem for Mrs. Leon's assignment."  
  
Pete mistook her deep breath as a sign that she was finished. "That's cool. I'm sure it's a great poem." She flashed him a quick glare.  
  
"I'm not done, Ross. I sneaked a peek at that notebook yesterday when he left his backpack here. When I read his poem this morning, I slipped about reading his notebook. He got pissed, Pete. Not angry-pissed, but hurt-pissed. He threw away the poem, said he might take a sick day from school Monday and that if I wanted to I could type up the poem for him." The whole time she was tearing a napkin to smaller and smaller strips.  
  
All Pete could do was give her a big hug to try and comfort her. "Maybe it's not so bad, Chloe. Maybe he's just not used to people knowing that part about him, y'know? So is he home now? Go talk to him. Beg for mercy."  
  
"Wish I could, but he's over at the Luthor mansion." She saw the mention of the name having a bad affect on Pete. "I called Clark's place. His mom said he was there to blow off some steam and play billiards."  
  
"I didn't know he knew how to shoot some pool."  
  
"He doesn't. Let's hope Clark didn't make any bets." Chloe got up and stared in the direction towards the Kent farm. "Y'know, Pete, this leafy lil hamlet wouldn't be so bad. I mean, if I found the right guy--"  
  
"Like Clark?" The glare Pete got from her was priceless.  
  
"Grrrr... *if* it was Clark, which it doesn't seem possible now, this place wouldn't be so bad. I could run the Ledger, Clark would have either a small pad or his own farm like his folks. I could see why Dad wanted to move here, despite all the meteor freaks. The likelihood of being 'Mrs. Chloe Sullivan-Kent' or 'Mrs. Chloe Kent' seems impossible now." Her little rant distracted both of them from noticing another person entering the office.  
  
"What's this about 'Mrs. Chloe Kent'?"  
  
Chloe and Pete turned to see Lana. "Oh... Hi, Lana. I'll see ya Monday, Chloe. And don't worry. Kent will forgive you. That's how he is, y'know?" Not liking the idea of being outnumbered and being in a talk about Clark, he slipped out before either girl could object.  
  
Lana saw the pained expression on Chloe's face, as well as the tear-soaked tissues strewn about the office. "Chloe, why didn't you say something? I didn't know you were interested in Clark. But as to being Mrs. Chloe Kent?"  
  
Chloe couldn't help but smirk. "Well, a girl can dream, can't she? Besides, Clark's still single and available..." She decided to try being blunt this time. "...that is, unless the dork is still waiting for you to dump Whitney, cuz let's face it, he's got it bad for you. Speaking of which, why are you here? You only come here when there's trouble."  
  
"Well, I came hear to ask you something."  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"It's about Clark. He's been acting weird these past couple of weeks."  
  
"I don't follow. Clark can be clumsy at times, yes, but weird?"  
  
"Well, I don't know if you'd like to hear this, but..."  
  
"Go on..." Chloe didn't like how this conversation was going already.  
  
"Well, I don't know how to say it, but Clark seems to be... distancing himself from me."  
  
~YES!! WOOHOO!! There is a god, afterall!!~ "Ummm, what do you mean?" If it weren't for the fact she was crying not long ago, she'd be nearing Cloud 9 about now.  
  
"I mean, even when Clark and I are alone and talking, that sparkle in his eyes... it's gone, Chloe. I knew he liked me, but now I think he doesn't."  
  
~Geez, you want to have your cake *AND* eat it too?~ "You know that's a good thing, right?"  
  
Lana poured herself a cup of the Sullivan Special Brew. "I know, and he's still my friend, but that's not all."  
  
"Oh?" ~Oh crap... She'll say she's attracted to my Clark now. Huh? 'My Clark'?~  
  
"Maybe it's because it's not happening around me now, but I've been noticing something."  
  
"What? If it about Clark, I gotta know." Chloe did her best to keep that last sentence from being too forceful.  
  
"You know how Clark used to get clumsy around me? Well, since about a couple of weeks ago, he stopped being clumsy around me... and..." Lana left that statement hanging for a moment.  
  
"...and what?"  
  
"...and that's around the same time he started being clumsy around you, Chloe."  
  
  
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"Eight ball in the side pocket," beamed an amused Lex before sinking the billiard and racking a tenth win against his best friend. "I will admit, Clark, you almost had me there in a couple of games. But considering you're not completely focused in the game, I won't be asking for my one hundred bucks for winning ten games." Lex laughed at the somewhat disgruntled Clark.  
  
"Well, you didn't have someone digging into your journal about your dreams, Lex." During the course of the ten games, Clark recounted about not just the journal and today's events, but what he'd been feeling during the past couple of weeks. "Lana and I run on the same frequency, but there's no spark, y'know? No burning fire of... of..."  
  
"That's what they call 'chemistry,' Clark. Well, considering that you've spilled your proverbial guts to me about you feelings for Lana, or what's now the lack thereof, I'll consider our wager paid for." Lex grinned as he saw relief wash over Clark's face. "Now let's get to the center of your current problem."  
  
"Which is...?"  
  
"Chloe." Lex rolled his eyed as Clark's face turned a few shades of red. "That's what I thought. It's a wonder you don't pop a few blood vessels in your face when you're around her now."  
  
"Not Chloe. I mean, sure she's great, and we can talk up a storm about anything and everything. But..."  
  
"'But' my ass, Clark. Wake up and smell the chemistry. First, hand over the notebook of your dreams."  
  
"It's at home, Lex. Sorry."  
  
"Alrighty, then tell me the dream. The one you said your assignment was based on."  
  
"The dream was from Thursday night."  
  
"Did you dream Friday night as well?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Okay, then tell me about both dreams."  
  
Clark sighed before recalling those two dreams. The first dream wasn't exactly a typical dream for Clark. He had dreamt of on top of a skyscraper, watching fireworks go off in the distance, with a beautiful young woman. He couldn't make out her face, but felt in his heart that he'd known this lady forever. They would closely dance for hours, with soft music from a band playing. He remembered getting down on one knee and proposing. He loved the look of surprise and joy on her face when she saw the engagement ring. She had said yes.  
  
"When we kissed, that's about when I woke up." Clark was still flustered from the recollection.  
  
"Well, that's the awful part about dreams, Clark. Sometimes they end too soon. And the second dream?" When Clark recounted the second dream, Lex couldn't believe it. "Now that's a... ummm... a different type of dream."  
  
"I think it's a more symbolic dream."  
  
"Yes, I have to agree. Just one thing, though."  
  
"What's that, Lex?"  
  
"Blonde hair is usually described as 'golden tresses,' as you did in that dream."  
  
"...Chloe?" Clark's response was getting more and more priceless.  
  
"Now that you have that in mind, I'll take you home. I've got to head out to Metropolis to take care of some things." Lex knew what he was doing. ~I'll let that thought sit with you a while, cuz as much as I'd hate to admit it, you're right.~ "Yin and Yang, Clark."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Yin and Yang. You and Chloe." Lex grinned while leading Clark back to the Ferrari.  
  
"Who's side are you on, anyway?"  
  
"My own. Oh, and this time, also on Cupid's," Lex smirked.  
  
"Geez..." Clark hung his head low, which gave Lex perfect timing to give him a sympathetic pat on the head.  
  
"Many a men have fallen to Cupid's might. You're only human, after all."  
  
"Don't remind me."  
  
Lex once again couldn't help but laugh as they sped off towards the Kent farm.  
  
  
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To Be Continued...  
  
  
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Read and review, please. Hope you enjoyed it! Part 4 is in the works. 


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